Thread attaching means for bobbins



Jan. 24, 1967 c, CONSOLETT] 3,300,160

,THREAD ATTACHING MEANS FOR BOBBINSSV 7 Filed Sept 8, 1964 I INVENTOR.

I PAUL Q-C/ONBOLET'II ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fifice Patented Jan. 24, 1 967 3,300,160 THREAD ATTACHING MEANS FOR BOBBINS Paul C. Consoletti, Hopedale, Mass., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass, a corporation of Maine Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 3194,9031 2 Claims. (Cl. 242125.1)

This invention pertains to an improvement in bobbins for automatic bobbin changing looms and, more particularly, to an improved means of attaching the end of a filling thread thereto to initiate the Winding of a filling package thereon. Although the present invention illustrated and described herein is shown as applied to loom bobbins, it is to be understood that it is equally applicable to the various forms of textile bobbins and package carriers.

It is a general object of the invention to improve bobbins used in conjunction with automatic loom winders to insure a more positive means for initiating the formation of a filling package thereon.

A further object is that of providing an improved means of catching and retaining the end of a filling thread to attach it to the barrel of a bobbin for winding the same thereon.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a cylindrical band constrictingly attached to the bobbin intermediate the butt and barrel portions thereof having a plurality of integrally formed projections adapted to capture and retain the free end of a strand of filling to initiate winding of a filling package on said bobbin.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure.

In looms that utilize automatic bobbin winders stripped bobbins are automatically oriented and presented to the winder where they are donned and then placed in position for transfer into a shuttle upon indication in a known manner for a filling replenishment.

A common practice formerly utilized for attaching the end of a filling yarn to a bobbin to initiate the winding of a filling package thereon was that of placing the end of a filling strand to be wound across the cupped spindle center. The bobbin when placed in winding position would press against this filling strand holding the same to facilitate its winding upon the barrel of said bobbin. This means of fastening the yarn to a bobbin functioned with some degree of success; however, if the yarn or filling was not accurately placed across the cupped portion of the winding spindle, there would be insufficient holding pressure resulting in said yarn becoming detached when the winding commenced.

US. Patents 2,824,708 and 3,104,852 both disclose an improved means for attaching the end of a strand of yarn to a bobbin or core for the winding of the same thereon. Each of these patents discloses staple-like members attached directly to the butt portion of a bobbin and Patent No. 2,824,708 further shows a ferrule member having integrally formed tooth members for performing this function.

The thread attaching means according to the instant invention is an improvement over the devices disclosed in the above mentioned patents.

Bobbins with which applicants thread attaching member forms a part are of conventional design having a cylindrical butt portion with an integrally formed barrel portion of lesser diameter extending axially from the butt. A portion of the butt immediately adjacent to the barrel is of lesser diameter than the remaining portion of the butt and defines a cylindrical stepped surface on which the thread attaching member according to the invention is adapted to be constrictingly attached. This member is in the form of a cylindrical band one end of which is in abutting relation to the butt and the opposite end is provided with a plurality of equally spaced projections formed in a manner to be more fully described which are effective in capturing and retaining the end of a strand of filling yarn to initiate its winding on the bobbin barrel.

The invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail by reference to the accompanying figures of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a bobbin showing the thread attaching member according to the invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is an end view and on an enlarged scale of the thread attaching member shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 but showing a modified form of affixing the thread attaching member to a bobbin, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of a filling bobbin showing the stepped portion on which the thread at taching member is adapted to assemble.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, FIG. 1 shows a bobbin indicated generally by numeral 10 which includes a butt 11 and a barrel 12 extending therefrom. The butt 11 includes rings 13 for holding and positioning the bobbin within a loom shuttle as is well known to those conversant in the art.

A portion of the bobbins butt 11 immediately adjacent to the barrel 12 is of lesser diameter than the remaining portion of said butt and defines a cylindrical stepped surface 14. The outer surface or rim portion of this stepped surface 14 is angularly disposed with respect to the axis of the bobbin, in other words it tapers from that edge adjacent the barrel 12 angularly inward toward said axis and terminates at a shoulder 15 (FIG. 5).

The stepped surface 14 is adapted to receive the thread catching member according to the invention, indicated generally in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 by numeral 16.

The thread catching member itself is in the form of a cylindrical band 17 having a tapered inner surface 18 (FIG. 3) which conforms to the outer configuration of the stepped surface 14.

The cylindrical band 17 in its preferred form is molded or formed from one of the various types of commercially available synthetic resins preferably a thermo-plastic such as polypropylene having relatively stiff and resilient characteristics. Considering these characteristics it is easily understood how the band 17 is constrictingly attached to the stepped surface 14. This surface is slightly larger circumferentially than the conforming inner surface 18 of the band and when the latter is pushed or forced onto said stepped surface, the band is caused to expand slightly and its natural tendency to return to its free diameter creates a binding condition that maintains said band in a fixed position on the bobbin.

FIG. 3 shows a vertical cross section view of the band member on an enlarged scale and that end depicted by numeral 19 is in abutting relation to shoulder 15 when said band is in its intended position as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The opposite end of the band 17 is provided with a plurality of integrally formed and outwardly directed projections that are indicated generally by numeral 20. These projections extend in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the bobbin and are equally disposed therearound in overlying spaced relation to the periphery of the bobbin barrel 12. The plurality of projections have outer and inner surfaces which define a Web 21 that terminates in a bulbous rib 22 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Each of these bulbous ribs 22 as shown in FIG. 2 are arcuated for the circumferential extent of the web 21 with which it forms an integral part and each of said bulbous ribs has a portion thereof that extends inwardly beyond the limits of the inner surface of its respective supporting web 21 thereby forming a means for capturing and retaining the free end of a strand of filling to initiate the building of a package on the bobbin.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified means of retaining the thread catching member on the bobbin by utilizing the same stepped surface 14 of the bobbin that is adapted to retain the thread catching member of the preferred form.

This modification has a plurality of spring biased fingers 23 equally distributed throughout the circumferential extent of that end of the thread catching member opposite the end having the plurality of projections. These fingers are formed by a plurality of spaced slots 24 disposed about the circular extent of the band and, being open at one end, extend in a plane substantially that of the axis of the bobbin itself.

Slots 24 extend for a portion of the band width and the fingers, being spring biased in the direction of the bobbin axis, are eifective in providing a clamping or binding condition on the stepped surface 14 when said band is assembled thereon.

Alternatively, the thread catching member may be secured to the bobbin butt by applying a suitable adhesive between the two members in which case tapering of the mating surfaces may be eliminated.

In operation, empty or stripped bobbins are fed into an automatic bobbin winding machine where they are individually donned, or in other words are held between axially-alined rotatable centers, one of which is driven in a known manner to rotate the bobbin for winding the filling yarn thereon.

As the bobbin commences to rotate, a cooperating element of the winding machine which holds the end of the supply yarn carries the latter along the barrel of the bobbin and in the direction of said bobbins butt portion. When the yarn reaches the thread catching member, the bulbous n'bs of the projections 20 are effective in capturing and retaining the end of the supply yarn to initiate the building of a yarn package on the bobbin.

When the yarn package reaches a predetermined size the bobbin is automatically dotfed and the cycle is then repeated by the donning of another empty bobbin.

While one embodiment and modification of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A bobbin for automatic bobbin changing looms upon which filling thread is adapted to be wound including a cylindrical butt portion and an integrally formed barrel portion of lesser diameter than said butt portion and extending axially therefrom, said butt portion includ ing a stepped portion contiguous with said barrel portion, a cylindrical band member adapted to be constrictingly attached to said stepped portion, having a first side abutting said butt portion and a second side having a plurality of outwardly directed projections, said projections having an outer and inner surface defining .a web, said outer surface being disposed at an angle to the axis of said bobbin and said inner surface extending in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the bobbin, said web terminating in a bulbous rib with a portion thereof extending inwardly beyond the limits of said inner surface, thereby providing a means for capturing and retaining the free end of said filling to initiate winding of a filling package on said bobbin.

2. The mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said projections are equally disposed about the second side of said cylindrical band member in overlying and spaced relation to the periphery of said barrel portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,558,561 10/1925 Mossberg 242118.32 2,824,708 2/1958 Higgins 242125.1 3,118,633 1/1964 Belville 242125.1

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Examiner. 

1. A BOBBIN FOR AUTOMATIC BOBBIN CHANGING LOOMS UPON WHICH FILLING THREAD IS ADAPTED TO BE WOUND INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL BUTT PORTION AND AN INTEGRALLY FORMED BARREL PORTION OF LESSER DIAMETER THAN SAID BUTT PORTION AND EXTENDING AXIALLY THEREFROM, SAID BUTT PORTION INCLUDING A STEPPED PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID BARREL PORTION, A CYLINDRICAL BAND MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE CONSTRICTINGLY ATTACHED TO SAID STEPPED PORTION, HAVING A FIRST SIDE ABUTTING SAID BUTT PORTION AND A SECOND SIDE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTWARDLY DIRECTED PROJECTIONS, SAID PROJECTIONS HAVING AN OUTER AND INNER SURFACE DEFINING A WEB, SAID OUTER SURFACE BEING DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO THE AXIS OF SAID BOBBIN AND SAID INNER SURFACE EXTENDING IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE BOBBIN, SAID WEB TERMINATING IN A BULBOUS RIB WITH A PORTION THEREOF EXTENDING INWARDLY BEYOND THE LIMITS OF SAID INNER SURFACE, THEREBY PROVIDING A MEANS FOR CAPTURING AND RETAINING THE FREE END OF SAID FILLING TO INITIATE WINDING OF A FILLING PACKAGE ON SAID BOBBIN. 